Trivia Night at the Science Kaffeehaus

In the spirit of the Zurich cafés where Einstein did some of his most
creative thinking, turn your library into a lively Science Kaffeehaus. Your
guests can hear from a local scientist and take part in a trivia game—all
related to E = mc2. It's a fun and effective way to reach new
audiences and help bridge the gap between the scientific community and the
public.

Hold the event on an evening when the library is closed, or in
a large meeting room. If possible, choose a space where snacks can be
served.

Find a scientist to host the trivia event

Contact the World Year of Physics 2005 Speakers Program, which can
help locate scientists who have a knack for explaining to the public Einstein's
ideas and their impact (www.physics2005.org/speakers/index.html).

Inquire at local colleges and museums for suggestions of experts
who would be interested in presenting.

Seek articulate, engaging presenters. Also, consider breaking
down stereotypes by finding scientists from underrepresented groups, such as
women and minorities.

Explain their role: To engage the general public in a
dialogue and trivia game related to E = mc2, its
significance, and how it affects them today. Inform them that the time
commitment is small and little preparation is necessary.

Establish whether a monetary incentive is needed for your speaker
and, if so, how you can fund it.

Publicize the event

Send a press release or information about the event to local
television stations and to online and printed calendar listings in listservs,
newsletters, and newspapers (see sample press release at right).

The moderator will introduce the scientist, clarify rules for
trivia, and run the Q & A session. The moderator should be comfortable
speaking in public and familiar with the concepts being discussed.

Have two to three volunteers hand out, collect, and score trivia
answer sheets. They don't need to have any special expertise but should
understand the questions and answers so they can accurately score response
variations.

An A/V volunteer should set up any equipment before the event
begins and be available to help with glitches that may arise during the
evening. Use of a microphone is recommended to ensure that everyone can
hear.

Gather snacks, prizes, and materials

Create a Swiss Kaffeehaus by offering coffee, tea, and hot
chocolate, along with small pastries such as strudel slices and butter cookies.
Play classical music, such as Bach's Brandenberg
Concerti.

Prepare the space, set out food and trivia materials, and test
any A/V equipment.

Set up a welcome table with blank nametags and markers
available.

Set up a whiteboard or a flipchart on an easel to use as a trivia
scoreboard.

Have the scientist run through his or her presentation before the
guests arrive.

Run the Event

Welcome

Welcome and sign in participants. Invite them to make nametags
and have a snack while waiting for others to arrive.

Introduce the evening to the entire group.

Show the NOVA video clip to introduce the young Einstein and
other scientists whose work laid essential groundwork for the equation.
(optional)

Introduce the scientist

Scientist comments on video clip (optional), reiterates the main
concepts of E = mc2, gives an example of how it affects our
daily lives, or makes a connection between the equation and his or her work.

Explain the trivia rules

There will be two rounds, each introduced by the scientist.

Participants should form teamsof 2-5 (depending on group
size). Each team should select a name. (For fun, offer a prize for the most
creative team name that's related to E = mc2.) Each team should pick an answer recorder.

For Round 1, teams use the pre-printed question sheet.
Remind teams to write their team name at the top of their sheet and to turn in
the sheet to one of the volunteers at the end of Round 1.

For Round 2, questions will be read aloud. (For multiple
choice questions, you can write out the answer choices for all to see.) Teams
will have two minutes to submit the answer to each question. The scientist will
give the answer for each question after all questions have been turned in and
before moving to the next question.

For all rounds, correct answers will be announced.

Team totals will be tallied and posted after each round. Each
answer is worth one point. Multi-answer questions award one point per answer.
The last question in Round 2 can make or break a winner—it's worth up to
ten points. Teams wager points based on their confidence in their answer. These
points are added to a team total for a correct answer and
subtracted from a team total for an incorrect answer.

Give
the answers for Round 1. Volunteers score Round 1 and record team results on the scoreboard.

7:10

Scientist, Moderator

Introduce
Round 2. Scientist reads each question aloud; teams have two minutes to turn in
single answers after each question is read. Moderator presses a buzzer when
answer period is over. Scientist gives answer for question after all teams'
answers have been turned in and before reading next question.

7:10

Volunteers

Score
answers as they come in. Halfway through Round 2, tally and post team standings
on the scoreboard.

8:00

Moderator,
Scientist

Invite
the group to ask the scientist more questions. Repeat participants' questions
so the entire audience can hear. Encourage a dialogue.

8:00

Volunteers

Tally
final team standings.

8:10

Moderator, Scientist

Announce
final scores and give prizes.

8:20

Moderator, Scientist

Have
the audience fill out an evaluation form. Point participants to library
displays, books, and handouts related to E = mc2.

For all participants:
Bookmark, pencil, or pen with library name or science theme.

For the winning team (at least 5 prizes to accommodate a big team):
Video store, movie theater, or restaurant coupons (local establishments may
donate coupons); free passes to a local science museum; book from the resource
lists in this guide; Einstein-themed mugs, t-shirts, and posters (widely
available at science museum gift shops or such Web sites as
www.physlink.com/estore and www.scienceteecher.com).

Sample Press Release

<LIBRARY NAME> INTRODUCES THE "SCIENCE KAFFEEHAUS":
A LIVE TRIVIA NIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL OF E =
mc2

Hosted by <Scientist Name, Affiliation>

WHAT: A Trivia Night with a Science Flavor and Wide Appeal, hosted by
<scientist name>

WHEN: <Start Time to End Time> on <Day, Date, Year>.

WHERE: The <Library Name>, <address>, <town>, <phone>, <Web
site>

In the 19th century, people packed the lecture halls of Europe to
hear talks and debates by prominent scientists—who were considered the
rock stars of their day. Now the <Library Name> is introducing this tradition
of lively public dialogue about science with our Science Kaffeehaus. The
Kaffeehaus will serve up a mix of popular culture and science-flavored trivia,
with teams competing to answer questions and win prizes. Trivia sessions will
be interspersed with question-and-answer sessions with <scientist name> of
<institution>.

The Science Kaffeehaus is inspired by the new NOVA special program, "Einstein's
Big Idea" (www.pbs.org/nova/einstein). The two-hour film brings to life
the dramatic stories of men and women whose innovative thinking led to
Einstein's revolutionary equation, and explores the tremendous impact of the
equation on humanity.

This exciting event is designed for all—physics degrees are not required!
To join us, sign up at the library's main desk or email <email contact>.

Round 1 Answers

Germany (Ulm)

You might think the metal would weigh less, but Lavoisier's experiments
showed it actually weighed more. He also determined that the surrounding
air weighed less afterward than it had before, by exactly the same
amount—as if some of the mass from the air had "stuck to" the metal.

Marie Antoinette

(a) Marie and Pierre Curie(b) Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee

(c) 29 million years. If
every particle became energy, the lump would yield around 25 billion kilowatt
hours—enough to keep the bulb glowing for about 29 million years.

(a) flea. Even zooming at roughly 18,000 mph, a space shuttle is nowhere
near a speed that would significantly change its mass. When subatomic particles
travel near the speed of light, though, as they do in the world's most powerful
particle accelerators, they can become 40,000 times heavier than they are at
rest.